Rupesh Samant

Panaji, Feb 18: Drinking alcohol standing on the roadside as you witness the Carnival float parade would be banned from this year, state tourism minister Manohar Ajgaonkar said on Tuesday. Ajgaonkar unveiled the program for upcoming Carnival 2020 celebration which will begin from February 22 and culminate on February 25.

“There will be a ban on people drinking while they stand to watch the float parade. It is a part of the ban on drinking in public places which are implemented in the state,” Ajgaonkar said. The minister addressed a press conference on Tuesday flanked by King Momo Shalom Sardinha and director of tourism Menino D’Souza.

King Momo is a mythological figure who heads the float parades organised by the state tourism department. Sardinha, a lawyer by profession, has been elected as King Momo for the festivities this year.

Ajgaonkar said that the main float parade would be held in Panaji on February 22 followed by other cities including Margao, Quepem, Vasco, Curchorem, Mapusa and Morjim. The state government, he said, would be spending around Rs 1.5 crore on the organization of these float parades.

The minister said that the department would like the participants to come up with 'clean' floats showcasing the culture of the state.
“The unwanted floats would be eliminated from the parade. We cannot allow the floats like those which make a statement on Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) or any other thing," he affirmed adding that the commercial floats would also be discouraged by a state-appointed screening committee.

Ajgaonkar said that the Carnival festival is expected to give a boost to the tourism industry in the state. “We have geared up to welcome national and international travellers who will arrive here to usher in the festivities,” he said.